Whole30 Food Hacks for a Busy Lifestyle
- Radhika Brinkopf
- Jun 20, 2019
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 24, 2019
I'm busy. I'm always making excuses that I'm too busy to eat right, to go grocery shopping, or to take care of my body. I'm the type of person that will ALWAYS make time for her workout but somehow can't make the time to nourish my body with the rights foods.
About a month ago I decided enough was enough and I was going to reset my body by doing another round of the Whole30. This time though, I was going to find ways to make the Whole30 sustainable given my busy schedule and my on-the-go lifestyle.
Here are a few food hacks that helped me get through my latest round of the Whole30.
1. Vital Farms and Pete and Gerry's Hard Boiled Eggs
Boiled eggs are the perfect easy-to-pack breakfast. Not only are hard boiled eggs a great source of protein, these are already cooked and ready to take on the go!
Grab and egg or pack of eggs by themselves or make them part of a larger breakfast.
2. RX Bars
While on Whole30, you would never find me without a Chocolate Sea Salt RX Bar in my purse or work bag.
These bars came in extremely handy when I found myself delayed in an airport, stuck in traffic, or at my office desk when I got hit with the mid-afternoon munchies.
My favorite flavor, the Chocolate Sea Salt bar was the perfect sweet and salty mix that helped me quell my sugar demons while on Whole30.
** It is important to call out that not all RX Bars are Whole30 Compliant. You can be sure to be safe with the following flavors: Coconut Chocolate, Mixed Berry, Blueberry, Chocolate Sea Salt, Apple Cinnamon, Mint Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, and Coffee
Seriously, OMG, I would not have survived my Whole30 without Snap Kitchen and even now that I've finished this round of Whole30, Snap Kitchen helps me eat healthy when I'm too buys (or too lazy) to meal prep. Snap Kitchen is THE REASON that I've been able to grab more late night yoga classes because I'm not spending that time cooking.
Snap Kitchen has dietitian curated meals that are perfect for a quick pick-up or even delivery in some areas. I find myself pre-ordering my meals on the app and then picking them up in store. This means that I can be in and out of the store within 2 mins. I place my order on an app on my phone and swing by the store and pick up a bag that is filled with all my pre-made meals. It is basically magic!
Snap Kitchen offers meals for the health conscious as well as meals for several different types of diets and eating lifestyles including: Whole30, Keto, Low Carb, and Vegetarian.
What's more is, their meals are FREE FROM: Gluten, Artificial Preservatives, Antibiotics, Added Hormones, and Artificial Colors and Flavors and they are SERIOUSLY YUMMY.
I have found myself craving their Romesco Chicken, Chicken Piccata, and Chicken Tenders with Turnip Mash (yes, who knew, I LOVE turnip mash) on more than one occasion.
Snap Kitchen has locations in the following cities: Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, and Philadelphia and is launching direct shipping of meals to expand its reach (**See end of article for excerpt from Dallas Morning News article from 6/24/2019).
If you are looking to save some $$$ on your first order, click here to use my promo code RBRI-FVC to save $45 on your first order.
The New Primal has so many incredible Whole30 approved products that include sauces, dressings, and Beef Jerky.
The Seal Salt Beef Jerky was my personal favorite because it was such an incredible on-the-go protein snack. One bag of the Sea Salt Jerky packs 13 grams of Protein and only 1 gram of Fat.
For those of you, who like me, are looking for a little crunch and salt in your Whole30 lives, this little package will do the trick!
Definitely don't leave home without a few of these bags of New Primal Beef Jerky. They are truly the most amazing snack.
Oh and did I mention, only 90 calories per serving (not that I was counting on Whole30) but still!
So I don't know about you, but I can give up soda and I can give up alcohol, but it is near impossible for me to give up my coffee. I've never thought of myself as a highly caffeinated person but maybe it was my time as a management consultant that has made me think of coffee like water. I can't live without it.
Unfortunately, pre-Whole30 I was a Skinny Vanilla Latte girl. Turns out those aren't so Whole30 compliant. So, while I was on Whole30 I had to figure out a way to keep getting those Starbucks Rewards Stars.
Iced Americanos to the rescue! A Grande Iced Americano is only 15 calories and has 3 shots of espresso in it. Beware of it's cousin the Iced Coffee though. At Starbucks, the Iced Coffee is sweetened with their classic syrup, so if you opt for the Iced Coffee for a milder jolt, make sure to ask your barista to hold the classic syrup to stay Whole30 compliant.
Another big hack for me during Whole30, and let's be honest in life in general, is Waterloo Sparkling water.
Waterloo has taken the place of both soda and alcohol in life. As part of Whole30, giving up alcohol is often one of the hardest parts for people especially in social situations. I found that if I poured myself a glass of Waterloo, I never felt left out during champagne toasts or when my girl friends were downing their vodka sodas at the bar.
Waterloo is naturally flavored and has 0 Calories, 0 Sugar, 0 Sodium, so 0 guilt right?
Waterloo also comes in multiple different flavors. Watermelon is my favorite. What is your favorite flavor?
Ok, not going to lie, but being able to eat Bacon and not feel guilty about it was one of the best parts about Whole30. During the 30 days, I'd be known to microwave 2 pieces of this bacon, whip up some sweet potatoes, and have a boiled egg to complete my perfect breakfast.
Pederson's Natural Farms Bacon is Whole30 approved and it is minimally processed, has no artificial ingredients, no preservatives, no added nitrates or nitrites, no gluten, no lactose, no MSG, and NO added sweeteners!
In addition to Bacon, Pederson's has many other Whole30 approved meat products.
Another great company with several Whole30 options is Applegate. My two favorite products were the Sweet Applegate Farms Chicken & Apple Chicken Sausage and the Applegate Naturals Grilled Chicken Breast Strips.
The Chicken Sausage was so easy to prepare and went perfectly with my hard boiled eggs for breakfast. The Grilled Chicken Breast Strips are already cooked so they make the perfect add on to a salad, can be added to any Whole30 approved recipe, or are flavorful enough to eat on their own.
And last on my list is this Amazon find --
a Spicy Mango Activated Sprouted Trail Mix. What I love about this trail mix is the perfect blend of sweet and spicy flavors. The bag is also resealable so it is perfect to take on-the-go.
This trail mix is made from habanero mango, raw cashews, sprouted nuts and seeds, goji berries, and raisins. If you are looking for a little kick, this snack definitely has it.
Not only will this snack give you energy during your afternoon slump, it is nutrient dense with 15% DV Vitamin A, 15% DV of Magnesium, and 10% DV of Iron.
Regardless of if you are on Whole30 or just trying to eat healthy, I truly hope that some of these hacks help as you look for healthy snacking and meal options for your busy and on-the-go lifestyle.
** From the Dallas Morning News Article, Snap Kitchen launches direct shipping of meals from its Fort-Worth Facility,
"Austin-based Snap Kitchen said Monday it's expanding from storefronts into e-commerce with direct overnight shipping of its fresh ready-to-eat, portion-controlled meals.
The new business starts this week from its Fort Worth kitchen, where the company said it can reach 80 million households within two days in 15 states in the South and East. The online expansion includes major markets of New York, Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Pittsburgh and closer to home into San Antonio and Oklahoma City."
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